The Hockey India League is all set to return to screens following a seven-year-long hiatus. The premier franchise-based competition is slated to commence with the men's event on December 28 before the inaugural women's event of the league is held on January 12.
While a total of eight teams will compete in the men's league, the women's competition will see four teams in action.
The teams were formed following an intense three-day auction in October with team owners splurging lakhs of rupees to get themselves battle-ready.
With the renewed HIL just days away, we take a look at how the Hyderabad Toofans stacks up ahead of the season:
Hyderabad Toofans Squad
The Hyderabad Toofans spent big for Argentine-German defender Gonzalo Peillat and the team inevitably revolves around him. They roped in the 32-year-old World Cup winner for Rs 68 lakh, making him the biggest overseas buy of the season.
Peillat though will have his task cut out in the defensive line even with the likes of the experienced Devindar Walmiki, Arthur de Sloover, Jacob Anderson, and others for company.
The midfield is where the Toofans will shine with the presence of two India regulars Sumit and Nilakanta Sharma brought in for Rs 46 lakh and Rs 34 lakh respectively and the young Indian Rajinder Singh who showed his brilliance against Germany in the latest test series.
They also have England's Zachary Wallace, who can dictate the game on his terms, among their ranks. They also brought in the young Rajinder Singh to bolster the midfield for Rs 23 lakh – nearly 12 times over his base price of Rs 2 lakh.
The Toofans' forward line also seems a bit thin of supply with an over-reliance on Australian striker Timothy Daniel and Talwinder Singh. The three other Indian options – Shilanand Lakra, Rohit Singh Illangbam, and Arshdeep Singh – are short on top-flight experience.
Dominic Dixon might be the first-choice goalkeeper for the Hyderabad Toofans ahead of Vikas Dahiya and Bikramjit Singh. Goalkeepers: Vikas Dahiya, Dominic Dixon, Bikramjit Singh
Defenders: Avhad Akshay Ravindra, Mukul Sharma, Amandeep Lakra, Devindar Walmiki, Gonzalo Peillat, Arthur de Sloover, Jacob Anderson, Sundaram Singh Rajawat
Midfielders: Zachary Wallace, Rajinder Singh, Darshan Vibhav Gawkar, Nic Woods, Rahim Aakib Sayyed, Maico Casella, Sumit, Nilakanta Sharma
Forwards: Timothy Daniel, Shilanand Lakra, Rohit Singh Ilangbam, Talwinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh
Strength and Weakness
The presence of the likes of Peillat, Wallace, Daniel, and de Sloover holds them in good stead. They won't be pushovers, especially with that stacked mid-field with Sumit and Sharma working in tandem.
There seems to be a huge hole when it comes to quality Indian options within the Hyderabad Toofans setup. Apart from Sumit, Talwinder, Shilanand, Sharma, and Walmiki to a certain extent, the others are far from being a finished product.
And with a minimum of six Indian players required to be on the field at all times during play, the Hyderabad Toofans might just run into trouble more often than not.
Hyderabad Toofans Fixtures
29 December: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Bengal Tigers
31 December: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Delhi SG Pipers
4 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Team Gonasika
8 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s UP Rudras
11 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Soorma Hockey Club
12 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Kalinga Lancers
18 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Tamil Nadu Dragons
23 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Tamil Nadu Dragons
25 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s UP Rudras
28 January: Hyderabad Toofans v/s Team Gonasika